Hey pals

I realize it’s been a long time I have been absent from the forum and I wasn’t able to respond to the pm’s I got as well. Reason is, I had a relapse of my disease(s) and simply couldn’t be here. Now I’m fighting my way back into my old life. I’m still not fully recovered but I’m beginning to see some light at the end of the tunnel.

As of now I’m slowly starting to answer all the questions and pm’s I got. I am really sorry for the long waiting and didn’t mean to let you guys down so please accept my honest apologies.


For the moment I will not be able to make the 3D prints myself as mechanical work is too much pain for my joints at the moment. I hope you find enough answers and guidance in this thread to finish your project yourself.

I will however be adapting the 3D files to house smaller and/or bigger radios in the next few days to weeks as I got many pm’s requesting different sizes for the opening.

Cheers!

sorry but what is this?

https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2249678

and maybe depth or lifted, I think lifted, 0.1 mm

What specifically is your question?

That checkered faceplate has not been printed and served only as an idea. This is the correct flat version: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2238132

Read the thread if you're interested in the checkered texture, I used a foil to have it look factory.

Any chance you can load the step files up on this forum for those of us that might want to modify this for our own need? I just ordered a print from shapeways in black nylon but I'm considering using one of the "cheap" china built Android head units and most of those come in non standard 2 DIN sizes.

Also where can you buy the little spring clips to go on the posts so I don't have to rob them off my existing one (my existing one is a NOS piece I got a few years ago so I don't want to steel parts from it).

Step files uploaded on Thingiverse, analog version includes a plain one without cutouts

http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2238132 (analog)
http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2241658 (digital)

I followed this thread for awhile, but I lost track until it resurfaced recently, so I hope you don't mind answering some questions that have probably already been asked and answered.

I believe you suggested using nylon for the face plate material? If that's not correct, then what would you suggest? Is color usually an option, or are material and color dependent upon availability from the printer, himself?

I've downloaded the folder for the plain analog face plate to my phone to take to a 3D printer, and I see that there are 5 files within that downloaded folder. Will the printer need all 5 files? If not, then which ones will he need/will he know which ones he'll need?

Regarding the earlier analog face plate with the factory-ish style design on it, is that a complete folder from which that plate can be printed? If I remember correctly, the print isn't accurate in some way. Embossed, maybe? If the plate is printable as it is, then the design is likely to be so slight after it's all sanded and painted, that its embossment isn't likely to be of concern to me.

When all is said and done, embossed or not, finished with a good-quality, smooth, glassy-looking black, then with a tight-fitting double din radio, none of it is likely to look very stock anyway. It will be the quality of the final finish that will make it or break it, IMO. So the more important thing to me, here, is that a size-accurate, good quality, double din representation of our stock face plate is available, and you've created that. I, as well as everyone else I'm sure, thank you for your efforts.

I got it printed from shapeways in Nylon
https://www.shapeways.com/materials/versatile-plastic
What convinced me about that material was its strength and heat resistance, as it can get quite hot in a car during the summer. So far it paid off. The color is always white, but you can get it dyed in a variety of colors - if you want to - or paint it yourself.

The step file is only one file. Not sure what those other files are. And be careful, the plain one doesn't have any cutouts, that's just for those who want to modify the design for their own needs!

Yes, that file is complete. It's not accurate as the squares are embossed inwards, instead of outwards as in the OEM design. I never printed that one so I can't say whether it prints nicely.

Thanks

The file I downloaded is the analog version that you linked in your post right above my post. It shows images of a complete, cutout, smooth face plate. That's the correct one, right?

As for color, shapeways says that after a lot of handling, the color can wear off, exposing the natural white color of the nylon. If that's the case, then it would seem that sanding a colored product would probably ruin the color, so painting it myself seems like the best choice. Any recommendation for the print-quality? Premium?

Don't know - sorry, I took the clips from my old bezel. It should stay flush without them though

I had this exact problem when I sanded my black dyed bezel. So there really is no point in ordering it in black if you're going to sand it. I ordered the standard quality, I believe there's no significant difference

Thanks for all your work on this. I just ordered one from Shapeways... I will let you know how it comes out!

Do you have a way to convert this file to a JPEG?? I have a friend who can do vinyl and I am trying to see if she can make me a template to paint it, she doesn't have photoshop. Thanks!

JPEG is a lossy format. it was posted in SVG format, which isn't a photoshop exclusive format. Most anyone who can print vinyl can run SVG?

You can use online converters as well. https://image.online-convert.com/convert-to-svg

Any chance you could share the checkered version step file?

Thanks for all your work on this.

BR

Here, I saved it long ago.
Firebird 85-92 double DIN radio bezel checkered - analog by cehbra - Thingiverse

Thanks, but I'm looking for the step file. (That is the stl file on Things Universe). I need to modify it slightly in Soldiworks as my radio is a bit bigger than that design after I printed it.